Don't Leave My Side
by mercscilla
Summary: Everything falls apart since that woman appeared on the scene and Wash needs some time alone but Taylor is having none of it. He wants anwers but the ones he gets, are not the ones he expected.  post S1


**Author's Note #1:** Written for the **tn-ficchallenge**'s Valentine's Fic Battle at LiveJournal and **zapf_chancery**'s sin prompt: _In Steve Miller's immortal words, "Everything's better when wet."_ (though I'm still unsure if the story fits the song but hey, it's BAMF, so...)  
><strong>Author's Note #2:<strong> I had a little trouble with this one and wrote most of it today, so please ignore the bits that feel a tad wiffy. O_o I hope you still enjoy it! :)  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> I own neither the show nor the characters. I don't earn any money with this piece. I just do it for fun.

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><p>She nods at Reynolds as she pushes her bike towards the gate, checks the things she's got with her one last time, and when she's sure she hasn't forgotten anything, Alicia gets on her bike, pulls out her goggles and is just about to turn the ignition key, when hand settles over hers.<p>

"And where are we going today?"

Looking up, she is not really surprised to find Shannon watching her, head tilted to the side, a half-amused, half-exasperated expression on his face.

"Out. I'm taking the day off."

Around her, the soldiers suck in a surprised breath, whispers fills the air as they shift nervously, and Alicia gives Shannon a wry smile. She has never taken a day off, not once in all the years she's been there. Always at the front line, never leaving the colony for pleasure, always for business, and that she's deviating from her routine is akin to an earthquake if the ripples going through the men is any indication.

Shannon glances towards the command center for a split second and she steels herself for whatever he's going to say next. Alicia isn't keen on having _that _discussion right now but she knows Shannon. The cop is like a dog with a bone when it comes to such things.

"_He _is with her, isn't he? Did you tell him you're leaving?" Like a really persistent little Chihuahua.

Alicia feels only a slight tinge of annoyance, knows Shannon means well, and she exhales a deep, drawn-out weary sigh as she ducks her head before shaking it. Suddenly, she feels tired, not just physically, and she wants nothing more to find a little rock and crawl under it, forget everything and everyone. Especially everyone.

"You know, I don't like her either. Not at all. She tried to hit on me too." Shannon's words jolt her out of her gloomy thoughts and her head snaps up, surprise written all over her face because _that_ she hasn't been aware of. Well, talk about dropping a bombshell.

"Did she now?"

"Hmm. Elisabeth made it quite clear though that I'm taken. The laser-scalpel was really hot." Shannon stares off into space, a wicked grin on his lips. "The way Elisabeth staked her claim later that night was even hotter."

Alicia groans, unable to stop a grin of her own, and waves her hand at him. "Enough, Shannon. I really don't want to know about you and your wife."

The grin becomes a pout as Shannon pretends to be hurt by her lack of interest but underneath it, she can sense sympathy and understanding, and even if Lieutenant Washington should be above petty things like _feelings _(hurt, jealousy, hate), Alicia is not, and so she squeezes Shannon's shoulder tightly, her way of showing him how much his empathy means to her.

"I'll be back by dawn. If anything _really _important happens - my comm is set to the emergency frequency." Adjusting her goggle, she starts her bike and instructs Reynolds to raise the gate.

"Be careful out there." All traces of humor and banter are gone and Shannon's voice is serious as he pats her hand one last time.

"I will be."

ooo

Jim wonders how long it's going to take Taylor to notice something is off. He bets two hours. Guz thinks it's going to be one and a half. In the end it's one hour and forty-five minutes and they decide to call it a tie and not squabble about it since they have a far more important issue to deal with.

Namely a rather irritated Commander.

_"Guz, where's Wash? She's not answering her comm."_

"Ah, she is OTG." If Jim wasn't so high-strung himself, he would laugh at the way Guzman holds the comm as far away as possible from them as if that would save them from Taylor's wrath.

_"She is_ what_?"_

"She's taking the day off, sir."

Silence reigns for a few seconds and the tension on the other end of the comm is almost palpable. When Taylor reactivates the link, his voice is devoid of all emotions.

_"Where are you know?"_

"I'm with Shannon at the crates."

_"Stay right there. Meet you in five."_

"Yes-"

_Click._

"-sir."

ooo

When Jim sees Taylor stomping towards them, he decides, he has to rethink his opinion of a Carnotaurus being the deadliest creatures in this time. No, it's definitely the Commander. Pale eyes flashing with barely suppressed fury and something else he cannot identify. It's gone the next moment and all that remains is an extremely angry man, working hard to keep his cool.

"Why was I not informed?"

"Sir, Shannon and I knew about her departure. The protocol states that if tw-"

"I do not care about the _damn_ protocol! Something is going on here and the two of you know it. Wash has never taken a day off, why is she doing it now?" Taylor looks from one to the other, a thunderous expression on his face. "Well?"

Neither Jim nor Guz feel inclined to say something, both not wanting to betray Wash's trust and after a few minutes of an uncomfortable staring contest, Taylor's mood darkens even further and he grits his teeth. He could order them to reveal whatever is going on with his Lieutenant but judging from their stiff postures and closed-off faces, he knows they will never say a word, even if he threatens them with the worst kind of torture.

That leaves him with only one other option.

"Fine. I'm going after her."

ooo

It's her little piece of heaven, discovered by accident on one of her missions to Outpost 9 and seldom visited. Only if she's on her own, she comes by and stops for a few minutes - no more than five to avoid causing any suspicion.

Today, however, she's going to spend the whole day here, sit under her favorite tree and watch the valley below the plateau, then, later maybe, go for a swim in the small pond nearby. Her armor and boots are lying next to her in the grass, gun and knife in reach, because no matter how peaceful it may seem, there's always the chance of a surprise-attack by the local wildlife, warns her the little voice in the back of her head (that sounds a lot like Nath- the Commander to her annoyance).

Leaning her head back against the tree trunk, Alicia closes her eyes and lets the warmth of the sun shining through the canopy ease her troubled mind. Her thoughts drift away from the emotional mess she left behind in Terra Nova and for a few blessed minutes, Alicia is free of it all.

But it's an illusion and it doesn't take long for her inner demons to catch up with her again. It is not as if she's running away from them, she just wants to- okay, so she _is _running away, doesn't want to deal with the emotional fallout that's slowly but surely going to follow but she has to if she ever wants to find some sort of peace again.

With a weary sigh, Alicia opens her eyes and stares into the blinding sunlight, wishing it would burn away the memories, every image, every word, every sound. They're replaying again and again in her mind, like an old, broken record. As tears start to blur her vision, followed by a stab of pain, she tells herself it's from the bright light and looks away, tightly squeezing her eyes shut.

Trust, respect and loyalty. That is all she is supposed to show to her commanding officer as a soldier, nothing more, nothing less. She trusts him with her life, respects him, even if she does not always agree with his decisions, and he has her unwavering loyalty, forever.

And yet, there is more, something that goes far beyond those three values. It didn't happen from one moment to the other, no, it was a gradual process, slowly building over the years, until one morning she woke up and realized with startling clarity that she loved him, was in love with Nathaniel Taylor, had been for a long time.

She made sure, he never found out her dirty (shameful) and definitely not little secret, never gave him any reason to doubt her feelings for him were anything but platonic. Over time, it became easier to bear, to watch him form afar, despite being always right by his side, and she learned to live with it, even be somewhat happy.

But then, Delilah Henderson turned up and everything started to change. Guz fittingly calls her 'desperate housewife', her personality certainly matching that of one, vicious to the bone, knowing exactly what buttons to push to archive her goals. When the portal had been destroyed, she had not hesitated to make her displeasure known about losing the comfort of the 22nd century. For her, Terra Nova had always been more like a vacation than humanity's second chance. Of course, she never told it Taylor to the face, instead she had started to use him to make the best of her situation. Asking for help here, offering a meal there, until she was right were she wanted to be.

Alicia has more often than not the unfortunate pleasure of being the target of Delilah's spiteful nature, especially since that woman found out about her secret and uses it to torment Alicia in any possible way. The Commander is clueless as only a man can be, has no idea that his _girlfriend_ is nothing but a gold digger, and is responsible for driving Alicia further away from him.

A rustling close by jerks her out of her reverie and she senses him before she even opens her eyes. She twists to the side and into a crouch, out of his reach, leaving his hands to grasp empty air. Raising her gaze, she meets the surprised face of her commanding officer.

There is a flash of something akin to hurt in his pale eyes, though he quickly masks it with anger, but she can't bring herself to feel sorry because if she lets him touch her now, in this vulnerable state she is in, she is going to break. She needs a moment to collect herself and brace herself for the coming storm.

"Lieutenant." His voice cracks like a whip, cold and sharp, and she can't suppress a flinch. From the mocking smile pulling at his lips, he doesn't miss her reaction. Well, what he can do, she can do even better.

"Commander," she greets him, her own tone flat, impersonal, and it has the desired effect. Taylor's self-control snaps like a twig under a boot.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Lieutenant?" He growls at her. With a frustrated sound he starts to unclasps his weapons and armor, lets them fall to the ground. She blinks, bewildered by his action but then it becomes clear, that – even though he's furious with her – he doesn't want her to feel threaten by him, wants them to meet on equal ground, and Alicia feels her resolve slipping a fraction of an inch. Damn him.

She slowly straightens up, a pleading look in her eyes. "Sir, please, just-"

"_No_, Wash. I want answers. Now. You have been snappy for weeks, you rarely come by my house anymore and our morning patrols are no longer ours but suddenly we're accompanied by Shannon, Guz or even Reynolds." He fixes her with a glare. "And Lilah told me, you reduced her to tears when all she wanted was to help you and you called her a mean bitch. She has done nothing to you, Wash, and you treat her like the enemy."

It is the last part that makes her snap and her eyes narrow as she points her finger at him. If he had only asked about her behavior, she might have found a way to skirt around the truth but now that he put _her_ above it all...

"You want to know the damn truth? I'm snappy because when I call, you always tell me, if it's not important, it has to wait. Do you think I'm stupid? Of course I only call you if I have something important to discuss. Like this morning, when I wanted to inform you that I was going OTG."

A brief flicker of understanding passes over his face but she's on a roll now and doesn't let him get in a word. "Shannon, Guz and Reynolds decided to join us because they know how hard it is for me to be alone with you right now. And why I no longer visit you? Well, why don't you ask your perfect little _girlfriend_?"

She literally spits out the last word and Taylor takes a step closer. "Careful, Lieutenant."

"No, sir, not this time. Did you know that she told me I was starting to look pathetic, with my pitiful crush on you? That I was embarrassing you by following you around like a panting lapdog?" Alicia turns away from him to stare at the glittering surface of the pond. "She said, you confessed to her that you only kept me around because I was useful as a soldier."

Behind her, there is only silence and she starts to feel a burning sensation at the corners of her eyes.

"I knew, she was lying, knew you would never say something like this but it still hurt. And then she threatened to tell you that I was in love with you." A humorless laugh escapes her. "It was the perfect blackmail in her eyes. She believed it would be the final blow and destroy whatever relationship we had. She thought, if she told you, you would finally see how pathetic I was and that someone like me was not worthy to love a man like you." The last words are barely more than a whisper and Alicia bites her lips, fighting hard to keep her tears from falling.

Taking a deep breath, she turns back around and finds Taylor watching her, arms crossed over his chest, his whole demeanor impossible to read. Does he believe her? Or is he still under the spell of that woman? Alicia doesn't know.

She is so tired, worn out from spilling her secret, wants nothing more than to be alone and lick her wounds but to reach her clothes, she has to move past him and so she slowly edges along the pond's bank towards her things, never leaving Taylor out of her sight. He's watching her like a hawk, eyes gleaming with something she cannot name.

Almost there, almost the-

"You love me?"

Startled by his question, she stops dead in her tracks and Taylor takes advantage of her momentarily distraction to shift to the side, effectively blocking her escape route. From everything she told him, he chooses this to confront her with? Clenching her jaw, she mirrors his position and stares at a point over his shoulder.

"For how long?"

Taylor moves closer and there is the opening she has been waiting for. Alicia makes a break for it, tries to push past him but he's faster, catches her around her waist with his left arm and spins her into his body, her back to his chest. For a moment, it leaves her breathless and she is all soft against the hard edges of him. His presences wraps around her, warm and soothing, protective, and it would be so easy to lose herself in him, forget everything.

But then he leans in, nudges her hair aside and his hot breath tickles the sensitive skin behind her ear. "For how long have you been in love with me, Wash?"

Reality comes crashing down on her and with it her strength again. Alicia starts to struggle in his hold, her elbow connecting with his stomach, the hard jab making him wheeze, and in a last effort to subdue her, Taylor grips her wrists. Desperate to get free, she lashes out with her feet, hits his shin and suddenly, they are falling.

They hit the water in a tangle of limps and the impact steals their breaths but Taylor never lets go of her, his arms like a steel band around her. When they break through the surface, coughing water and gasping for air, he is the first to recover and before she has a chance to renew her efforts to pull free, he maneuvers them to the edge of the pond, caging her in between his body and the rocks in front her.

"_Alicia_."

One word, her name, and the fight leaves her in a rush. She sags against the rocks and lets her cheek rest on the warm grass, fingers curling into the soft ground next to her face. Her eyes fall shut as warm hands run up her back, trace the muscles of her shoulders before following the curves of her arms to her hands. He links their fingers as he presses himself close, leaning over her until there's is no space left between them.

"You love me." This time it is not a question but a statement and Alicia moans softly as Taylor's lips brush her ear. He squeezes her right hand before he trails his fingers back over her arm, down her side, settling his hand low on her stomach.

"You love me," he repeats and his teeth gently scratch at her shoulder as he simultaneously pushes his hips forward, letting her feel the bulge in his pants. Her eyes snap open and her fingers dig into the grass as she arches into him, pleasure thundering in her blood. This can't be happening but it is and _oh, God_...

"You love me." Another whisper, his breath fanning down her neck, and she shivers, her breath speeding up as she tilts her head to the side. His left hand comes up to wrap in the strands of her hair, giving it a slight tug and she moans again, rubbing herself against him, reveling in the groan that leaves his mouth. He wants her and for now, Alicia doesn't care about anything else.

"Yes," she says quietly. "I love you."

That is all it takes and, with a low growl, he spins her around and covers her mouth with his. Her surprised gasp is lost in his mouth and her heart skips a beat as a ripple of heat rushes through her body. When they break apart, Nathaniel rests his forehead against hers, their breaths mingling, and she sways into him.

"Good. Because I love you too," he breathes against her mouth and she's stunned still in a mixture of arousal and shock.

His eyes are dark with longing and need, the truth of his words unmistakeable, and she is too surprised by the turn of events to stop him as he slides her tank top over her head. She should feel exposed but the look in his eyes as he stares down at her sends a thrill through her. Her tongue darts out to trace her bottom lip as she fists her hands into the edge of his shirt and slowly starts to push it up. It lands behind them somewhere in the water, joining her top in its fate. His muscles flex as she splays her hands on his bare chest, her fingers dancing patterns between his scars and he has trouble focusing, his eyes darkening as her hands slip down to his belt.

Batting her hands away, he grips her waist and hoists her up, out of the water and on the rocks, pushing her backwards until she's laying back on the grass. He follows her, supports himself with his knees and an arm above her, and the move causes droplets of water to fall onto her skin, like tiny bursts of ice, and she trembles as they leave goose bumps in their wake.

His other hand finds her hip as he leans down, his eyes boring hard into hers, and her own hands rise to grasps his biceps. "There is nothing between me and Delilah. I know, she wanted more but I love you, Alicia, and even if you had never returned my feelings, I would have never moved onto another woman."

There is a lump in her throat and Alicia feels something well up inside her. She gives him a small smile as she palms his cheek, and with a ragged sigh, she pulls his mouth back to hers. There is still so much they have to talk about but it can wait. For now it is only him and her.

Nathaniel's fingers drift up her side, teasingly brush the edge of her breast, before he cups it and pinches her nipple, blurring the line between pain and pleasure perfectly. Alicia jolts and pushes herself closer as desire floods her belly, moaning into his mouth. With a chuckle, he breaks their kiss and her head falls back as he gently trails his lips and beard down the arch of her throat and chest.

Feeling his lips curve into a smile against her skin, she drags her nails over his back and with a groan, he takes a breast in his mouth, his tongue swiping over the pebbled tip, and her breath catches. He's setting her mind and body ablaze with pleasure as he nips and sucks, teasing her with a hint of teeth on her sensitive peak. As he switches from one breast to the other, he slides a knee between her thighs, puts pressure against her center and her back bows, his name leaving her lips in a chocked cry.

She's rocking and twisting, both into his touch and away from it, and he's so focused on savoring every whimper, every moan, that when she slips her nimble hands into his pants, wraps her hot fingers around his length, he's completely taken by surprise and now it's his turn to choke on air.

Nathaniel drops his head to her shoulder, forcing himself to take a deep breath. "Alicia," he breathes against her skin, his voice rough, and it's both a plea and a question.

"Yes."

They make surprisingly quick work of dealing with their fatigues and then they are both naked, finally, skin on skin. She isn't sure, she can believe it, that this is really happening, after so many years with nothing it's a little surreal, but as he presses his hard length against her, she knows it's _very _real.

Alicia can see the need in his eyes, feels an answering one clawing up inside her, and her eyes are glowing, hot, heavy, as she spreads her legs and presses her wet heat against him.

He raises her leg and the sensation of the calloused pads of his fingers against the skin of her inner thigh sends a bolt of arousal through her. Her nails dig into his shoulders, almost painfully, and Nathaniel jerks, his breath leaving him in a hiss, his cock gliding between her slick folds, slipping through her wetness.

For a moment it is as if the world stops and their eyes lock, amber meeting silvery-blue, as Nathaniel pushes inside her, slides in slowly, so slowly Alicia feels each and every inch of him. Her whole body shakes as he stretches her and he actually has to stop when he's all the way in. They are both panting harshly, the feeling of finally being one almost overwhelming in its intensity, and even he's trembling as he gives her some time to get used to him.

He runs his hand up her side, moves it upward until he cups her breast again, kneading it softly, and a shudder ripples through her, her hips tilting upwards of their own accord. It makes him slide this one inch deeper and her eyes fall shut, her breath hitching. Alicia has no words for how good this feels, how good _he_ feels, the little sting of pain only fueling her desire.

Nathaniel withdraws slowly and she moans, wraps her legs more firmly around his hips, and with a growl and a small smirk, he thrusts back into her, taking the air in her lungs with him. The feather-like touches of his fingers trailing over her breasts are a startling counterpoint to the strength of his thrusts but it does exactly what he wants it to and sets her body on fire. Heat curls deep in her belly, tighter and tighter, and Alicia arches into the feeling, writhes and moves with him, and it doesn't take long before she's crying out and he's following her over the edge.

He collapses on top of her despite himself but she doesn't mind, tightens her arms around him, not willingly to let him move away, and he chuckles. Who would have thought that Alicia Washington is a cuddler? Sweeping loose wisps of hair away from her face, Nathaniel presses a quick kiss to her temple before he rolls them until she's sprawled above him and slides a soothing hand up her spine as the chilly air makes her shiver. The combined warmth of his hand and of the sun peaking through the leaves lulls her but just before she's falling asleep, she tilts her head to meet his lips in a slow, languid kiss.

"Love you," she murmurs against his mouth as they separate and he smiles as she lays her head back on his chest, humming softly as he starts to comb his fingers through her tangled strands.

"Love you too, Alicia."

ooo

Neither Jim nor Guz are surprised to see Taylor and Wash returning _together_ the next morning. When Taylor had called them yesterday and requested to send a man out to collect a bike from Outpost 9, they started to suspect things had changed.

Now, as they watch the Commander and his Lieutenant drive through the gate on one bike, their postures relaxed and clearly suggesting that they are _more _than just friends, they know it is actually true.

"About damn time," Jim whispers as he hugs Wash, earning himself a jab with the elbow. He bears it with a grin, happy to see his friends content and finally together. Guz is a little more subtle and just nods to Taylor but the glint in his eyes speaks pretty much for itself.

ooo

Later that morning, a rather irritated and annoyed Delilah Henderson makes her way towards Nathaniel's house. She is determined to find out where he went yesterday and why no one felt the need to tell her anything about his whereabouts. The nagging feeling in the back of her head that his disappearance could have something to do with Lieutenant Washington's is firmly ignored.

She knocks on his door and to her surprise, the door swings open silently. The persistent voice becomes louder and when she steps into the room, she realizes she should have listen to it. Her hand goes to her mouth in shock, a small choked sound escaping her as she stares at her own personal nightmare in front of her.

Nathaniel, still dressed in his clothes, is sitting on his couch, a naked Lieutenant Washington in his lap, straddling him. One of his hands is buried in her dark hair, out of its usual ponytail, the other, covered in a fingerless glove, is gripping her hips, guiding her as she slowly moves above him. He pulls her mouth to his, presses his lips to the Lieutenant's, and Delilah watches with mounting horror as the kiss deepens gradually and gains in heat with every passing second, groans and whimpers echoing in the room.

Delilah stumbles back, fumbles to open the door, finally manages to throw it open and the last thing she sees (and will remember forever) is the Lieutenant gasping, tightening her grip on Nathaniel's shoulders, fingers curling in his shirt as her entire body goes taut, and Nathaniel leaning into her neck, biting at her pulse before his mouth drops to her collarbone.

Their cry and groan of completion follows her as Delilah flees down the stairs.

- END -


End file.
